Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse—there are so many different takes on cleanses.  What gives? 

A cleanse can actually take many forms.  Simply cutting out sugar, processed food, and junk food, all associated with inflammation, can constitute a cleanse.  For some, ditching alcohol can be a cleanse and for others, removing caffeine can be a cleanse.  You may find extreme anti-inflammatory benefits by getting rid of common allergens, such as wheat, dairy, eggs, and corn, because those create tremendous inflammation. There are also a variety of botanicals that can aid the body in detoxification. For example, the herb milk thistle can help your body’s detox organ, the liver, function better.

Whether you’re juice fasting, lightening the sugar or fat load, or not making any dietary changes, there are herbs that can assist your body to work better and feel better. Laurie Steelsmith, ND, gives the lowdown:

“If you think about all the chemicals you are inadvertently exposed to each day, it can get overwhelming. The good news is it is easy to give your body a break:  first, minimize exposure; and second, give it a boost and clean it out with herbs, supplements and other means you can incorporate into your daily life,” Steelsmith says.

If you want to help your body cleanse, then she suggests paying special attention to your liver, lungs, skin, kidney and intestinal health.  

Here are some tips I like because they aren't extreme and you don’t have to live on juice alone or just fruits and vegetables to detox, which can actually do more harm than good. 

5 Tips for a Healthy Cleanse

1. Turmeric

Use turmeric in your diet to enhance liver health—the active component in turmeric is curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory.  It protects the liver from toxins as well, and can break down cancer-causing agents in the liver. Curcumin also helps the liver to make bile—the liver’s way of removing sludge and toxins from the body.  You can take curcumin as a supplement. Steelsmith gives her patients 500 mg three times a day during a cleanse.

2. Ginger Tea 

To enhance kidney function, not only drink a lot of water (at least half your body weight in ounces), but drink plenty of ginger tea to improve overall circulation and build the energy, or qi, of your kidneys.

3. Milk Thistle 

Great for detoxification because in addition to enhancing your liver’s ability to break down toxins, it also helps protect your liver from toxins in the process. Steelsmith recommends patients take a milk thistle supplement of 400 mg a day, standardized to contain 70–80% silymarin.

4. Jojoba Oil

To improve elimination through the skin, do skin brushing or loofah scrubbing before or in the shower. Be sure to always brush toward your heart because this will move your lymph back to where it needs to go to enhance detoxification.

Topically, you can apply 3 drops of essential oil of cedar wood, diluted in 1 tbsp. of jojoba after your scrubbing. This will help move fluids through your body and in turn will also support your kidneys’ ability to eliminate toxins. Note that on an emotional level, cedar wood is associated with strengthening will power.

5. Chia Seeds 

To increase elimination through your intestines, eat a lot of fiber-rich foods. Add chia to your smoothie, or just mix 2 tbsp. in 8 ounces of water and drink twice a day. This will act as a broom and whisk toxins out through your colon.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RD

Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Article courtesy of NewHope360.com's Natural Vitality, found here.